New Year's Eve || C. Hood

The Start of Something New

Calum jumps as a group of screaming drunkards shoves past him. He shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair after nearly being shoved over once more by a different group. He mentally curses himself for having suggested the boys go ahead to Time Square without him. He really just wanted to avoid being mobbed by the fans before performing; he wasn't planning on getting lost in New York City of all places.

With a frustrated sigh, Calum pushes open the doors to the nearest shop. A loud, obnoxious clanging sounds above the door, and he rolls his eyes as he enters into a tacky record shop. A year ago, he would have raved about how cool and punk rock the shop was, but right now he could only focus on how it was way too dark and cold as though he weren't even indoors.

"Hey!" a loud, feminine shout startles him, and he squints his eyes through the darkness of the shop to see a scowling blonde storming towards him. "Hey, what the hell! Did you not read the damn sign in front of the door? It says 'closed,' idiot."

The girl shoves past him to exaggeratedly motion to the dingy sign hanging on the front door. Calum, put-off by her rudeness, glares at her. "Well, maybe you should get a bigger sign then. Perhaps a blinking, colorful one to match your obnoxious chimes above the door."

The petite girl with platinum blonde hair crosses her arms and takes a step towards the taller boy, not at all fazed by his quick retort or towering height. "Sorry that our fine establishment can't appease your every wish. Now, if you'd kindly see your way out."

Calum's eyes start to roam the shop, and he stifles a smirk at the girl's obvious annoyance as a result of his ignoring her. "Maybe I want to buy something."

She scoffs and nearly rips his arm out as he starts to wander around the small shop. "Um, excuse me! Sorry, but no. Once again, the shop is fucking closed. The damn lights aren't even on!"

"You'd kick a customer out of the shop?" Calum holds a hand to his heart as if she has really wounded him and utilizes his perfected pout that all the ladies swoon for.

Well, except for this one. "Yep."

"Even if he offers to buy everything in the shop?" Calum smirks and raises one thick eyebrow as he lifts his arms to gesture the entire shop.

The girl's glare does not leave, but she grudgingly moves to the side and flips a switch that allows all of the lights to illuminate the shop. Calum flashes a mischievous, lopsided grin.

-

The shop girl gives Calum a skeptical look as he continues to pile item after item onto the counter. The sneer on her face only makes Calum more amused.

"You're kidding me, right?"

He innocently tilts his head up at her as he slides his wallet out of his back pocket. "What?"

"You're, like, twelve. How the fuck do you expect to pay for all of this? Is this some kind of a joke? You know you're going to have to put all of these records back, right? Like, I am not doing i-"

Calum slams down his credit card. She looks down at it and back at him. Her expression is still doubtful, but she exhales a long, exasperated sigh as she starts to ring up his items. The pleased, self-satisfied look on his face makes her want to pull out every pretty, little hair on his pretty, little head.

She purses her lips and continues ringing up the things without looking up at the boy with the messy hair, plump lips, and extremely seductive accent. "You know I want to punch you in the face, right?"

His laugh rings through the shop, and she mentally notes how it surprisingly sounds pretty cute and innocent as opposed to his asshole personality. "I know."